Monday, October 17, 2011

Students in a Texas public high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but the school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.

It happened last month in an intermediate Spanish class at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas — a city located about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wearing red, white and green, students had to memorize the Mexican anthem and pledge and stand up and recite them in individually in front of the class.

That didn’t go over well with sophomore Brenda Brinsdon. The 15-year-old sat down and refused to participate. She also caught it all on video:

“I just thought it was out of hand, I didn’t think it was right,” she told The Blaze. “Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.”

She said she was particularly offended because the presentations in teacher Reyna Santos’s class took place during “Freedom Week,” the week after the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and on U.S. Constitution Day — the same day as Mexico’s Independence Day.

“Why are we doing their independence when it‘s Freedom Week and it’s also Constitution Day?” Brinsdon said.

Brinsdon said she complained to the school principal, Yvette Cavazo, who told her it was part of the curriculum and that she should participate. Her father, William, also got involved, calling the school district superintendent to complain.

When Brenda made clear she would not stand up and recite the pledge, she was given an alternative assignment: an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution.

Meanwhile, other students continued with their presentations, which took place over the course of several days.

When Brinsdon talked to Santos — a first-year teacher at Achieve — about her new assignment, the teacher told her she grew up in Mexico.

“She told me that she loved Mexico,” Brinsdon said.

School district spokesman Mark May defended the presentations, saying it’s a state requirement for upper-level language classes to teach about foreign culture.

According to the state’s Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, students are expected to gain “knowledge and understanding” of other cultures and use the language to demonstrate understanding of different practices and perspectives. There are no specific requirements about learning to recite pledges or anthems.

May said it’s up to the teacher how to interpret and teach the standards.

“It wasn’t required to pledge loyalty and renounce the U.S., they were simply spreading the culture of another country,” May told The Blaze. “In my mind it’s no different from memorizing a poem or memorizing a passage from Shakespeare.”

William Brinsdon took issue with that notion, saying if that’s the case it cheapens the pledge.

“You‘re taking their allegiance and their oath from Mexico and cheapening it just as a grade or words don’t mean anything,” he said.

May reiterated that the lesson was all done within the context of meeting the state requirements, and that the school did its duty providing Brenda with an alternative assignment when she objected.

“The students came away with a better understanding of the culture, heritage and customs of a neighboring country where Spanish is the primary language,” he said.

May added that the lesson was “well received” by other students and parents.

“There’s always going to be people that always feel a little bit differently,” May said.

William Brinsdon is still having a hard time fathoming the idea of reciting foreign pledges and anthems in a U.S. public school in the first place.

“Our kids don’t even know the [American] national anthem and here we are…teaching them to memorize and perform the national anthem for Mexico,” he said. “I just think it’s so backwards.”

Sometimes you have to object. I regret I didn't pay more attention when my kids were going through school.

This struck me as offensive,

According to the state’s Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, students are expected to gain “knowledge and understanding” of other cultures and use the language to demonstrate understanding of different practices and perspectives. There are no specific requirements about learning to recite pledges or anthems.

May said it’s up to the teacher how to interpret and teach the standards.

Up to the teacher? Basically, she can teach anyway she wants based on her interpretation of the standards.

That's BS.

May added that the lesson was “well received” by other students and parents.

That's probably because the parents didn't know what was going on and didn't bother to ask.

desert rat said...The target is Richard Daley, which you'd know, if you read the threads.

PR man for Allah is always on the hunt for his story line of perceived bias.

Cultural schizophrenia, running amok.

Are you trying to convince yourself that you are not the bigot, jew hater that you are?

Only the most ignorant fool can argue the terms "shysters and Moneylenders" is not a direct reference to Jews...

shysters:

Etymology

The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says it is based on the German Scheißer (literally, defecator),[1] but the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "of obscure origin", possibly deriving from a historical sense of "shy" meaning disreputable.[2] Various false etymologies have proposed an anti-Semitic origin, and some people continue to regard the word as referring particularly to Jews or Jewish lawyers.[3]

from a white supremacist website:

The influence of Jewish moneylenders has been woven into the history of the West for centuries and runs like a thread throughout all events, hidden in many guises, yet ever present.

An insidious, dangerous, secret coterie that works behind the scenes. But, like a jigsaw puzzle, out of the mesh of intrigue the pieces fit together to form a pattern.

My friend, Andy Cohen, performed the last rites for a premature baby. So taken were the mom and dad upon learning that Andy was a Jewish chaplain, they wrote a moving letter to the European Theater commander. The strange thing about love is its blindness. It is true: "Unless you become like one of these (children), you shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven" (paraphrase). With that thought in mind, I leave you with this:

Deuteronomy 23:20: Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church ruled that Christians could not charge interest for loans. This had the expected effect of making Christian venture capital dry up and move away. There was no choice but to seek loans from the Covenant people, who had no qualms against charging interest from "strangers". If there are any hard feelings left over from this era, it's hardly the fault of the Covenant people.

If the local electorate does not object, why should that make it a Federal case?

Unless the object is to expand Federal control over local authorities.

If the locals do object to the Lesson Plan, the local Board can reflect voter concerns and take appropriate action.

Rat, once again you know not of which you speak. If the locals, teachers or administrators, go off the deep end someone has to call them on it. The only reason for having the Feds involved is the arrogance shown by the local administrators as evidenced in this piece. Likewise, special interests can influence the curricula and they shouldn't.

Example, three weeks ago WiO and I got into an argument over the Liberty. I mention this not to start another argument on that subject but only show where it led.

WiO mentioned an argument and an author I had never heard of before so I checked out the guy's bio and history. This led me to some of the activities he is involved with.

I found he is associated with the Florida Holocaust Museum. It seems this organization played a central role in getting a law past "mandating" that Florida schoolkids, k-12, receive training in Holocaust history. I thought it pretty strange that this training would be mandated.

This led me to check on the U.S. Holocaust Museaum Association. Sounds pretty innocuous. We have one of the museums here in the Detroit area. But then I came across one of the study guides they helped develop for a Holocaust class in New Jersey.

It was 1024 pages long so I only scrolled through it. Some of the lessons and exercises included in it were disturbing. In my opinion, worse than the Mexican anthem described in this stream.

1024 pages and you would allow the teacher to pick and choose whatever she wanted and give it to the kids.

One of the reasons Libertarians will never be a major party in the US.

Sure, I'd let the teacher use it, at least to start. Then, after the parents become involved, steps can be taken locally, to make the lesson plan "Appropriate".

If the Federal "Powers that Be" decided that those 1024 pages you mention HAD to be taught, well, that'd be worse than its' ad hoc employment by individual teachers, or even an entire State.

We all know that the Federals are much less responsive to local influence and more apt to educational radicalism. A target more tempting to "Special Interests" than the localities scattered across the heartland.

Quirk:It seems this organization played a central role in getting a law past "mandating" that Florida schoolkids, k-12, receive training in Holocaust history.

Really? They gotta teach Florida Kindergarten kids about the SS tattoos and cattle car trains and labor camps and punishment camps and extermination camps? Can't they just stick to teaching them how to tie their shoes or color within the lines.

Sure, I'd let the teacher use it, at least to start. Then, after the parents become involved, steps can be taken locally, to make the lesson plan "Appropriate".

I disagree with you. First, it should have never been a mandated class. Second, as I said, it all sounds pretty innocuous until you see the study plan. Most parents wouldn't even ask or be given information on what is in the plan so it is hard for them to object. The only reason the parents got involved on the pledge issue was that the girl (age 15) had the guts to object.

What about the kids who are not 15 or just don't think about or worry about the shit they are fed.

Third, you saw the response of the administrator. They could care less what a few parents have to say. They are the elites who approved the study plan.

It comes down to personal opinion I guess but I completely disagree with you. While Rufus and I may disagree on classes what should be designated mandatory or elective, I doubt we would disagree that when the US pledge isn't allowed in most schools in the country because someone miight object, there is no justification for forcing a class to recite the Mexican pledge.

I could see the Federals mandate this, if this lady gained control of what was Federally mandated, to localities.

Principal Anne Foley at the Kennedy School in Somerville, MA has recently taken political correctness to the extreme by suggesting that teachers ban the celebration of Thanksgiving, Columbus Day and Halloween because they're insensitive.

"When we were young we might have been able to claim ignorance of the atrocities that Christopher Columbus committed against the indigenous people," the elementary school principle said. "We can no longer do so. For many of us and our students celebrating this particular person is an insult and a slight to the people he annihilated. On the same lines, we need to be careful around the Thanksgiving Day time as well."

Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi said Halloween is "problematic" because of connections to witchcraft.

After she was told by the principle that she should do it and still refused. After she had video taped it. How many high schools sophmores have the guts to stand up to the administration?

And, as you pointed out, it's often only to run into the Anne Foleys of the world who claim "For many of us and our students celebrating this particular person is an insult and a slight to the people he annihilated."

The elites speaking for the opinions of their students. Rather than teaching assuming they will go along. In most cases, kids that young will go along to get along.

There is no way of getting away from local control. It is too big an issue to be handled from DC.

However, there is a place for the FEDs. "No Child Left Behind" has been knocked from all sides. Other than the unfunded mandate it imposed, I thought it was a pretty good plan in that it demanded competancy in certain core subjects.

There also should be direction from DC on what can be clasified as a mandated class; otherwise, local interest groups can force propaganda into the system.

I can't complain that the Spanish class was mandated; however, the stream Deuce put up indicates what I see is a problem in our schools that has been building since the 60's, PC that not only runs against American tradition but that also flows the opposite way.

The effect, to obscure the facts about what made us the country we are today.

89. RWE:Okay a Jewish Pogrom is on their agenda. And it always starts with running them out of the country, like, say, to Madagascar, but actual transportation requires excessive competence, so it’s easier to just herd them in camps and give them all a shower.

The Flea Party is also calling for a national registry to identify and locate the rich, particularly the rich who don't spend their money the way they want them to (Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon aren't included, you see) and for the rich to be given star or dollar sign tattoos. Obama enjoyed the support of 78% of American Jewish voters in 2008, and now the President has embraced the term "99%". Presumably the 1% of Americans who will get put on the cattle cars are the 22% of Jews who didn't vote for Obama.

The Flea Party is also calling for a national registry to identify and locate the rich,..

The Flea Party?

It would be nice to have a link T so we can judge who is saying this. OWS is a bit amorphous at this point. You will recall it was only a small group of black clothed and masked thugs who disrupted the protests in Rome.

The product can be installed in 10 units per man hour with simple module-to-module connection. Rapid installation is possible because the units require no assembly, grounding, or tools for installation.

This greatly reduces the costs associated with standard racking methods which require staging, assembly and grounding. In addition, SOLquick is extremely lightweight at less than three pounds per square foot average distributed weight.

Rufus II said...I think it's a tempest in a teapot. It just doesn't seem very interesting, to me. If I read a story about the school teaching "Computer" languages, I'd be more intrigued.

Bad move, right now. Not so much back in the 70s when I was dabbling with computers, because the good stuff hadn't been written yet. Now even that job is automated.

Push a button these days, and you can publish your spreadsheet on the company intranet.

They might even figure out a way to get robots to fix everything. But there's one thing they will never do, and that's getting robots to fix themselves. That's when you call my planner in the Electronic Repair Depot and get a quote.

Great little business model that will take me out another ten years to retirement.

Get with the program Ash. You have to be able to read and write to get a job. You have to be able to garner math skills to get a job. You need to know something about the history of your country, the way it is governned to get a job .

You should be taught the mechanics of logical thinking in order to get a job.

What is it you wopuld suggest they be taught from K to high school? Soccer?

Sadly Quirk I think you are misinformed about the role of education in life and job seeking.

No, you don't, or you more importantly, you shouldn't be taught, specific job skills in k-12 school. Heck, even in University it isn't "job training" unless you are in Medical school, engineering or other professional academic programs.

No, school is to learn, and to learn how to learn. You don't learn to operate a fork lift, or a cash register, or a tool and die lathe, or to program a robot for the auto assembly line. You learn skills like reading and arithmetic and history and how to deal with your peers. These are not job specific learning skills but rather they give you the tools to learn when you actually get a job. Look at your career, at your peers, at the multitude who often state that they learned "on the job". It would be a horrible mistake to re-tool the education system to train kids for "jobs" because we would be more likely to train folk for the jobs of today instead of the jobs that they will apply for. I can just see rufus now training all those ethanol makers confident that the future will be theirs.

An Egyptian security official said that an American-Israeli dual national held since June in Egypt on suspicions of espionage would also be released shortly after the swap. Ilan Grapel will be released by Egypt in return for about 70 Egyptian prisoners, most serving sentences in Israel on charges of smuggling or illegal entry, the official said.

Israel has denied that Grapel, a law student who was traveling under his own name and whose connections to Israel were easily apparent on his Facebook page, was a spy.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media on the matter. He would not give a precise time for Grapel's release, and Israeli officials would not comment.

"Again, I disagree with you. The curriculem should be constricted in Michigan with emphasis on classes that offer a kid a chance to get a job."

Where in this statement, Ash, did you the impression I was saying kids should be taught "...to operate a fork lift, or a cash register, or a tool and die lathe, or to program a robot for the auto assembly line...?"

A skill can be defined as proficiency gained through training or practice. It can describe physical proficiency or a degree of knowledge. The following two sentences are valid.

"He is a skilled carpenter."

"He has aquired the math, reading, and reasoning skills to assure he has the basic prerequisites for that job."

I'm sorry you have such a restricted view of the word skill. Or perhaps, mine is a dated definition of the word skill.

Either way, my meaning should have been clear to you from my response to your first post. Secondly, you, me, and Rufus had this discussion a couple of weeks ago and you and I were in agreement. I would have thought you'd have remembered it.

However,

Ash said...

No, you don't, or you more importantly, you shouldn't be taught, specific job skills in k-12 school.

Here I have to agree with Ruf.

K-12 schooling should be focused on the courses required to provide a foundation that will allow a student to either be prepared for further more advance training or to be fully prepared and proficient with skills (knowledge if you like, reading, math, etc.) to enter the job market.

That being said, not everyone will necessarily go on to college. There is a place for courses that teach occupational skills like body shop and auto repair, and also for the IT training Rufus is lobbying for.

You guys still don't get it. I'm not lobbying (necessarily) for vocational training.

I'm lobbying for including "computer" languages in the curriculum on the same scale, perhaps, as foreign languages (just as an example.)

Look you teach arithmetic in 1st grade. You don't know if that first grader will move on to college-prep calculus, carpentry, or working as a seamstress; but, all three jobs require a base knowledge of 'rithmetic.

High school students take "electives." In my day, one of those electives might have been "shop." This elective was usually taken by young men that were reasonably certain that they weren't interested in College.

Other electives would be Algebra II, or Trig. These were mostly taken by those that were on a college track.

Substitute computer language for 'rithmetic, and you start to see what I'm proposing.

Magnificent Ronald and the Founding Fathers of al Qaeda

“These gentlemen are the moral equivalents of America’s founding fathers.” — Ronald Reagan while introducing the Mujahideen leaders to media on the White house lawns (1985). During Reagan’s 8 years in power, the CIA secretly sent billions of dollars of military aid to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in a US-supported jihad against the Soviet Union. We repeated the insanity with ISIS against Syria.